Cop shoots 93-year-old woman to death

[Jazzy]

HEARNE, Texas -- Friends say 93-year-old Pearlie Golden still shopped at the grocery store and greeted friends with a jubilant "Hey, baby!" Now they and the mayor of this small Texas town want the police officer who shot and killed her gone.

The fatal shooting of "Miss Sulie" - as residents say she was widely known - has raised tensions in Hearne and the Texas Rangers are investigating what led the officer to fire on Golden while responding to a 911 call at her house this week.

Hearne police have said in a statement that Golden "brandished a gun" when officer Stephen Stem, arrived Tuesday night.

Robertson County District Attorney Coty Siegert said a preliminary autopsy shows Golden was shot twice in the body and grazed by a third bullet. It's the second time Stem has shot and killed a suspect since joining the department in 2012, Siegert said.

The circumstances surrounding Stem's first on-the-job fatal shooting were very different. Siegert said a group of officers had responded to a call in the middle of the night and wound up chasing several suspects through an unlit area before Stem fired. He was cleared by a grand jury.

"There's no justification. Any police officer would know not to kill a 93-year-old fragile woman when they could have backed off," said William Foster, 64, a retired professor in Hearne. "She was no threat to him."

Stem could not be reached for comment because a number for him could not be found. Siegert said he saw Stem's lawyer this week but didn't know his name, and Hearne City Attorney Bryan Ross didn't return a phone message.

Hearne police have declined to comment beyond the statement issued this week. Stem has been placed on administrative leave.

Authorities say a revolver believed to be the weapon Golden had at the time of the shooting was found at the scene.

Source

Do you think there was justification for this shooting? Why / Why not?

 

[DrLeftover]

She did not drop the weapon when ordered to.

The professor is an idiot.

However, this has many of the hallmarks of "suicide by cop".

 

[Nebulous]

She did not drop the weapon when ordered to.

The professor is an idiot.

However, this has many of the hallmarks of "suicide by cop".

Maybe she wanted to be shot/killed like Doc suggested.

 

[Jazzy]

Could very well be what Doc suggested. She called 911 fully knowing the police would show up. Unless she was senile and thought the cop was an intruder. Who knows. I'm more leaning towards Doc's theory.

 

[WHO IS SERAFIN]

Now I read on another article multiple witnesses heard five shots. Shot at a 93 year old five times. Count it five times. I mean what was this old lady to nimble for the cop to take her down with one shot. Its sounding very suspicious that we have another incompetent cop.

A commenter wrote this and sadly I believe there may be a lot of truth to it.




It probably went like this “Ma’am BANG, put down BANG your BANG gun BANG now. BANG.